Horace catlin



(No Model.)

H. GATLIN.

CLOTHES LINE HOLDER.

No. 591,795. Patented'Oot. 12,1897.

HORACE OATLIN, OF BURLINGTON,

PATENT OFFICE.

IOlVA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO OSlVALD HIRSOH, OF SAME PLACE.

CLOTHES-LINE HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591,795, dated October 12, 1897.

Application filed June 24, 1896. Serial No. 596,797. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HORACE CATLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Burlington, in the county of Des llloines and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Clothes-Line Holders,which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to that class of clothesline fasteners having a pivoted lever hinged to a boss adapted to clamp the line and turn in direction of pull.

The object of my invention is to simplify and cheapen the cost of manufacture of such fasteners; also to provide a novel construction whereby the clothes-line may be more readily handled for tightening or attaching and detaching, and at the same time to aiford a better grip for the clamp.

It is also my object to provide means in a hinged fastener for bracing the fasteningscrew against a side or oblique pull, which often causes breakage or loosening of said screw.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my fastener in operative position. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a detail view of the clampin g-lever.

Referring more particularly to the drawin gs, 1 denotes a disk-shaped bracket having a flat bearing-surface upon its inner side andprovided with a boss cast integral therewith upon its outer side.

2 denotes a fasteningscrew having its head cast flush with the flat surface of the bracket.

A denotes the body of the fastener, provided with cars a a, adapted to span the boss and having perforations which register with the perforation in said boss.

a denotes a rounded shoulder formed on the face of the body portion and projects outwardly therefrom.

3 denotes a curvilinear lug formed integral with the body portion and projects downwardly and outwardly therefrom.

4 denotes a lever pivoted to one side of said body portion by a bolt 5. Said lever is provided at its upper and lower end with laterally-extending yokes, the upper one projecting above and rearwardly of the shoulder a and the lower yoke adapted to span or embrace the lower end of the lug 3. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the lever is formed with an inward bend or curve, the purpose of which is to clear it from the shoulder a and to allow free access to the clothes-line between the two yokes, as hereinafter described.

My line-fastener is secured' in position by the screw 2, which should be screwed in until the flat surface of the disk bears tightly against the surface of the fence or wall. This fiat surface acts as a brace for protecting said screw when the pull upon the line is oblique or sidewise and swings the body portion at an angle to the screw.

The clothes-line is first passed over the upper yoke of the lever and drawn taut with one hand, the other hand taking up the slack. The upper end of the lever is then pressed back until it jams the line between it and the shoulder. The slack line is then passed under the lower yoke and the upper end of the lever allowed to swing forward. This causes the lower yoke to bind the line between it and the lug 3. To tighten the line at any time, it is grasped between the two yokes and pulled taut, at the same time pressing the upper yoke back to hold the line against the shoulder until the slack can be passed under the lower yoke and jammed between it and the lug 3. It is evident that by securing the lever to one side of the body portion I am enabled to afford ready access to the line for tightening the same without removing it from either yoke. Again, this construction greatly facilitates attaching and detaching the line. Moreover, the shoulder placed between the two yokes affords a rounded surface, over which the line draws, giving it a turn and affording the clamping-lever a better hold.

It is evident the clothes-line may be tightened at any time with one hand. This is accomplished by pulling outwardly and downwardly on the line below the lower yoke sufficiently to release the line from the pressure against the lug 3, yet without throwing the upper yoke all the way back. This allows 2 sinners the line to slide freely through the upper of said shoulder provided with laterally-exyoke and down over the shoulder until the tending yokes which cross said body portion line is drawn taut. above and belou said shoulder substantially Having shown and described my invention, as described. 15 5 what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters In testimony that I claim the foregoing I Patent, is have hereunto set my hand, this 1st day of In a clothes-line holder, the combination of April, 1896, in the presence of witnesses.

the body portion having a shoulder project- HORACE CATLIN.

ing outwardly from its face and a depending \Vitnesses:

1o lug below said shoulder, of a bent lever piv- J. T ILLICK,

oted to one side of said body portion in rear C. L. GIBAUER. 

